Perennials Podcast

Episode 11: Living in the Light Today with Heather Tynan

Heather Tynan is a student, blogger, natural-product maker, believer, creator, sister, daughter, and friend. She grew up in scenic northwest New Jersey, studied biochemistry and molecular genetics, public health, and environmental studies at Drew University, and currently is in her fourth and final year of naturopathic medical school, a program that emphasizes mind, body and spirit wellness and holistic methods of diagnosis and treatment.

In this episode, Heather and I talk about her blog, Living in the Light - Today!, her faith, the relationship between naturopathic and conventional medicine, and the importance of listening to one's own still, small voice to find what's best for each of us. And, as a lovely bonus, Heather shares how Perennials listeners can receive a discount for her online shop, Handmade by Heather May. 

You can find more information about Heather and the topics covered and references made in this episode by visiting the Shownotes page.

Episode 10: Self-Care, Community-Care with Dr. Kesha Moore

Dr. Kesha Moore is a trained social science researcher and therapist who specializes in goal achievement in women's professional and personal lives. As Kesha explains in today's episode, her mantra is "building communities of love and justice," and she strives to create these communities of wellness through policy, education and life coaching.

Kesha and I talk about the permeable boundary between self and society; why it's so important for activists to take care of themselves; and how being intentional about our habits, rituals and goals can help us to live with purpose and joy.

For more information about Kesha and the topics covered and references made in this episode, please visit the Shownotes page.

Episode 9: Learning Inside & Out with Ben Delloiacono

This week, I'm chatting with Ben Delloiacono, an adjunct English professor who teaches at several universities in New Jersey, as well as inside prisons via the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons Consortium (NJ-STEP). We talk about Ben's reluctance to start teaching, what he did during the ten year period between getting his B.A. and Masters, why he has found his experience teaching in prison both challenging and fulfilling, and his take on anger, forgiveness, and the importance of saying "I love you." 

You can learn more topics covered and references made in the episode by visiting the Shownotes page.

Episode 8: Dreams in Drive with Rana Campbell

Rana Campbell is creator and host of the podcast Dreams in Drive. Each week, Rana chats with successful creative and lifestyle entrepreneurs who share their stories and the keys to success that have helped them along the way. In this episode, Rana and I talk about fear of failure and fear of success, some of the challenges that young adults face when trying to figure out how best to create fulfilling work lives, our journeys with developing self-trust and making decisions, Rana’s definition of success, and some lessons and highlights from Dreams in Drive.

For more information about the episode and about Rana, visit the Shownotes page.

Episode 7: Roaming the Globe with Olivia Arnold

In this episode, I'm talking to my younger (but infinitely wiser!) cousin Olivia Arnold about the amazing journeys she took during her undergraduate career at Northeastern University. Olivia reported on nighttime breaking news for The Boston Globe, served as editor-in-chief of her campus newspaper, reported on the refugee crisis in Greece, and worked at non-profits in Zambia and India. Olivia has so much wisdom to share about engaging with the world with humility, empathy and passion. She's a brilliant example of how, if we allow ourselves to wander and follow our curiosity, we can eventually find ourselves exactly where we're meant to be. 

Visit the Shownotes page for more information about topics covered and references made in this episode.

Episode 6: Intentional Living with Hilarie Bninski

For two years, Hilarie Bninski lived in an intentional community as part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest, while she worked at a crisis nursery and then a domestic violence shelter. She and her housemates practiced the JVC Northwest values of spirituality, simple living, social justice, community and ecological justice. During our conversation, Hilarie talks about what she learned from intentional living, the intersection of spirituality and service, and describes her month-long pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago.

You can learn more about the topics covered and references made in this episode by visiting the Shownotes page.

Episode 5: Save the Bathwater with Marina Carreira

Poet Marina Carreira and I talk about her new full-length collection of poetry, Save the Bathwater (Get Fresh Books LLC, 2018), a book that draws from her experiences growing up in a Luso-American immigrant family in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey. Marina describes the immigrant experience of "existing in two places at once," and she brings honesty and tenderness to this portrait of a family that is raw, real and pulsing with life. Ultimately, she shows how love and forgiveness have shaped her relationship to her family, her culture, her own layered identities, and her work as an artist bent on justice. 

For more information about the episode and Marina, visit the Shownotes page.

Episode 4: L'Chaim with Lisa Rappaport

Rabbi-in-training Lisa Rappaport and I talk about spiritual seeking and exploration. Lisa wasn't raised in a religious or spiritual household, and though her more distant relatives were Catholic and Protestant, she just didn't connect to Christianity. After much exploration of different religious and spiritual traditions in her early adult life, she eventually found her spiritual home in Judaism and is now on the rabbinic path. Lisa is the creator of the blog My Jewish Path, which follows the 29 day journey of spiritual preparation for the Jewish High Holidays during the Hebrew month of Elul.

You can find links to topics and references made in this episode by visiting the Shownotes page.

Episode 3: Becoming Shelf Aware with Tabrizia Jones

Tabrizia Jones is a New York Public Library librarian and creator of the blog "cup of tea with that book, please." In this episode, Tabrizia and I talk about some of the books that have changed our lives, and the importance reading has played in our personal development. Tabrizia sheds light on why libraries are more important than ever, and how books can help us to slow down, be present, learn about ourselves and the world, and inspire us to examine and even alter our lives.

You can find links to topics and references covered in this episode on the Shownotes page.

Episode 2: Being Well with Marisa Sweeney

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all of the (often conflicting) information about wellness out there, and to become obsessed with every single bite we take and every pound on the scale. In this episode, registered dietician and owner of Be Well wellness center Marisa Sweeney reminds us that we have to approach wellness with acceptance of our humanness, acceptance that change takes time, and acceptance that life will continue to present us with new challenges and opportunities. I get pretty personal in this episode, talking about what forced me to start really getting to know my body, and Marisa gives some great, solid tips for making healthy choices that will help us feel good.

You can find links to topics and references covered in this episode on the Shownotes page.